New Student

Teekkari culture

A student's life shouldn't include only course books and lectures. Hard studies require some balancing free time activities as well. Here are some examples of the diverse teekkari life in TUT.

Overalls

The overalls are teekkari's usual party clothing. This way there's no need to think about what to wear and the pockets can take as many items as may be needed during the night. As decorations, badges are sewn on the overalls. All TUT guilds have different colours on their overalls. When wearing overalls, remember that you're representing all the students in TUT! All the students in TUT may get their overalls from their own guild.

Teekkari songs

Teekkaris like to sing! You can find out more about the world of teekkari songs from the Singing Culture pages.

Academic dinner parties and sitsit

A few times a year the teekkaris 'have a ball', wearing white tie in the Academic dinner parties by the Student Union or guilds. Sitsit are a less formal and smaller event. Fuksisitsit are arranged twice a year for the fuksis, also keep watch for international sitsit arranged in campus.

Sauna evenings

Teekkaris are very keen on having sauna, and especially often in Teekkarisauna Mörrimöykky. In a smaller group sauna can arranged in guild's mobile saunas, Konetalo sauna, Juvenes sauna, Hermia sauna... Just bring your own towel and drinks and you're ready to go.

At the beginning of the sauna evening there can be a girl's turn, but usually the sauna is mixed. This shouldn't be anything to fear, since the sauna is for bathing, relaxing and singing, not for staring. However, if this time you don't feel like sweating, there's no need to go in the sauna; the sauna evenings can be enjoyed also by for example chatting with friends.

Excursions

The guilds and clubs arrange field trips and company visits near and far, the duration varies from half a day to a couple of weeks. During the longer excursions they might also visit teekkaris in other cities. The dress code depends on the nature of the excursion.

Kyykkä

One of the most teekkarispirited sports is a traditional game from Karelia, kyykkä. It requires strenght, skill, precision, possibly bribing the judge and most importantly sense of humor. The season highlight is the World Championships of Academic Kyykkä arranged by TEA-club, that are held in February in TUT campus.

Tamppi

TAMPPI is the Wappu magazine of teekkaris in Tampere. Starting from 1978, TAMPPI is always packed differently and is full of jokes. The jokes are made up by the students in TUT and is published on the first day of Wappu.

Wappu

This is the biggest and most beautiful of all the teekkari happenings. Wappu is surprising each year, and especially for fuksis it is a huge experience, that is remembered for years to come.

How and why did Wappu become the highlight of the year of all the events? A perfect explanation does not exist but at least one convincing factor is the good timing of Wappu at the end of the academic year. In addition it is clearly the most carneval spirited of all the Finnish celebrations. The most important event during Wappu for teekkaris in Tampere are placing the teekkari cap on the Suomen neito statue in Hämeensilta bridge, that's when all the teekkaris wear the teekkari cap for the first time after the winter, and the teekkari dippings.

During first of May the fuksis will officially become teekkaris, when they are dipped in Tammerkoski river. Nowadays the Wappu lasts nearly two weeks starting in mid-April, when the Wappu magazine TAMPPI is published, lasting until the first of May. During this time all sorts of events are organized.